Many Jews today are concerned about the rapid and widespread growth of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. On the one hand, it’s growth has helped Jews around the world through education and social services that wouldn’t be available without them. On the other hand, their beliefs are just a bit off center and risk undermining traditional Judaism.
The Los Angeles Times explains:
"I disagree with Chabad about practically everything," Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, leader of theliberal Reform Jewish movement, said in a speech last year. "But I envy the selflessness of their young men and women who fan out across the world to serve Jewish communities in distress. We must foster among our members the same sense of mission and spirit of service to the Jewish people."
Others rue the spread of Lubavitch influence. "The Jewish community is becoming deeply dependent on them for religious services and ceremonies, education and social services," said David Berger, an Orthodox rabbi and a history professor at Brooklyn College who has written a book on Chabad. "It's a clear and present danger to Judaism."
The prime issue for Berger and Chabad's other critics is the belief by some Lubavitchers that Schneerson — the movement's last leader, who died in 1994 at age 92 — is the Messiah long foretold in Hebrew Scriptures. ... The charisma of Schneerson's leadership was such that in the final years of his four decades of leadership, increasing numbers of Lubavitchers believed the rebbe had the potential to be moshiach, the Messiah.
When Schneerson died, many expected the whispers that he was "the one" would dissipate: Traditional Judaism holds that the Messiah would be a living person. Though the belief has waned since the rebbe's death, some believers in Schneerson adopted an idea associated with Jesus: resurrection.
Officially, the Chabad movement disavows the idea that Schneerson is/was the messiah. Some are openly embarrassed by the popularity of the belief and have tried to take some action against it, but unsuccessfully. Why haven’t the leaders moved more strongly? Some say that it is because they don’t want to cause a civil war in their group. This is likely true because commitment to messianism here is so strong that I doubt many would give it up if ordered to do so.
I wonder if we are seeing a new Christian-type movement developing?
Read More:
Oh wow. Just googled around and found this. First, I’m not even from Chabad, but I got to say, stop bad talking people you don’t know anything about. The Chabad movement does not believe the Rebbe was mashiach (or messiah in english), but there is a SMALL minority of the Lubavitchers who believe the next Rebbe will be the mashiach. They do not represent the Chabad ideals at all, so generalizing is a mistake mankind always had to offer us.
I will repeat, I’m not a Chabad follower, I’m not even orthodox at the moment, but I just can’t stand seeing so much made-up lies against people with good ideals. Also, nobody I know from Chabad even mentions resurrection for the previous Rebbe, please get your facts straight. Also, it’s nothing more than funny to see Liberals (read as reformists) pointing fingers. Unlike Liberals, Chabad is not vowing for people to forget their sacred heritage as is their religion, and thanks to Chabad, a lot of jews returned to the ways of the Mitzvot (sacred commandments for jews). Can’t say the same for the Reformism, which labels as jewish anything they wish to, as if there wasn’t any knowledge from our sages from the millenniums of existence of the jewish people.
Oh please, I’m orthodox and I’ve had enough of chabad.
Claiming that only a “non official” minority of chabadniks believe the nonsense about R.Schneerson z”l being mashiach and that the “official core” reject the idea is, pardon my french, BS.
Such a belief , even if the “core” doesn’t really believe it, is being kept alive for many reasons by chabad authorities.
Why hasn’t a new Rabbi been appointed?
R.Schneerson had no children some say!
So? He himself wasn’t the son of the previous luba rebbe, just the son in LAW.
What about heretic practices such as using one of the Rabbi’s sefers as a magic 8 ball.
And tons of other practices frowned upon by traditional orthodoxy.
Yes they do amazing kiruv and are wonderful at “converting” jews to chabad (and ignoring their previous families minhagim and culture)
Unfortunately this won’t avoid an eventual schism in the years to come…
Not only do they say their rebbe is the moshiach, they say he is not dead. Some say that there is an imposter in his grave. Many pray to him instead of Hashem.
Come take a look at the Mitzvah Mobile they drive in New York City. It says, long LIVE the mashiach, king of israel.
The last time I checked Jews are to pray to G-d, not to another human being.